One more yes for north beach yard:

Commissioner Ricky Arriola is shepherding the concept through the process with the Planning Board, Finance and Citywide Projects Committee, and Land Use and Development Committee, each of which has to sign off before the Commission gives the final approval.

This week the Land Use Committee recommended in favor of three land development regulation amendments.

Wynwood Yard Founder Della Heiman said “The [North Beach Yard] concept would be quite similar [to Wynwood Yard] although we would have more food and beverage concepts, some hyperlocal retail concepts, and bigger landscaping and urban farming component.”

Initially the amendments under consideration would have allowed for a broader future use of the City-owned West Lots where North Beach Yard is proposed. The North Beach Master Planners had suggested selling or leasing some of the lots to pay for larger public projects on other sections of the West Lots, and the amendments before the Land Use Committee would have allowed for apartment and residential uses there. Commissioner Micky Steinberg said she was uncomfortable with adding those broader uses at this time and the Committee approved narrower amendments for the North Beach Yard concept only.

Planning Director Tom Mooney noted the concept is on the Planning Board agenda for discussion at its May 23rd meeting, but he said that would be for discussion only, as consideration of the three amendments approved by the Committee will need to be properly noticed to the public for consideration and recommendaton at the June Planning Board meeting.

Commissioner Arriola is hoping the entire process can be completed and North Beach Yard operational by the end of the year.